Saturday, March 12, 2016

Olean's on the brink of history

(Elijah Ramadhan and Olean will play for a state championship / Photo by Steve Jacobs)

Olean 58, Hudson 38

My coverage of Olean this season began with a preseason forecast that the Huskies would reach Glens Falls. On December 13, 2015, I tweeted that Olean would arrive in Glens Falls on Friday March 11, 2016 with a record of 25-0. Well, they accomplished both of those predictions, and after watching the clinical fashion in which they disposed of previously undefeated Hudson, I will confidently offer everyone my confidence in coach Jeff Anastasia's program once more......Olean is going to win a state championship tonight.

The Huskies fell behind early to Hudson and trailed 12-6, before closing the opening quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 13-12 lead. After eight lead changes and five ties through the game's first 12 minutes, Olean scored 13 unanswered points to finish the first half and take a 32-21 lead at halftime. Monty Shoemaker (15 points) hit three of his five 3-pointers in the second quarter, including back-to-back bombs to end the half. An 8-2 start to the second half pushed the Huskies' lead to 40-23 and the Blue Hawks never got any closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Hudson, who finishes the year 26-1, came in averaging 76.8 points per game. After Olean limited them to just 21 points in the first half, they did even better over the final 16 minutes and kept Hudson to half of its season average for the game. Of all the clinics I saw the Huskies put on this season, their performance in the Class B state semifinal was beyond impressive and easily the best I've seen WNY's only undefeated team play this year.

"We’ve been taking one step at a time," said Olean coach Jeff Anastasia. "All year long I’ve said let’s take another step and we were able to take another step so that allows us to play for a state championship."

Ben Eckstrom led the team with a game-high 18 points, while Elijah Ramadhan added 10 points. The pair also combined for 25 rebounds in the game.

Anastasia will be inducted into the NYS Basketball Hall of Fame during a brunch and ceremony inside the Glens Falls Civic Center on Sunday morning. I can't think of a more fitting way for WNY's coaching wizard to enter the hall - a dream scenario, fresh off the culmination of a dream season.

"It would be a storybook ending if somehow we can somehow win the state championship on Saturday and I get inducted on Sunday," Anastasia said.

A storybook ending that's only possible thanks to an outstanding team playing under a legendary coach. Prediction - this story has a very happy ending.

Comments

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The score of this game does not do justice for exactly how good Hudson really was. This team was legit and deservedly represented their undefeated record well. Olean just played the most complete and outstanding game I've seen from them all year. That's how awesome they were in this game.